Everybody loves giveaways. Whether they are custom shot glasses or high-tech gear, people love receiving free items. Hosting a successful giveaway event can be tricky without the proper goals and guidelines. To help you achieve this, here are some things you need to keep in mind.
Different Ways to Hold a Giveaway
Remember this: engagement is the name of the game when it comes to giveaways. You need to set up the giveaway in a manner that will capture people’s attention and relate the brand to their personal experiences. In this manner, they become more interested in the brand and are more likely to engage with it.
Here are some of the most popular methods you can use in your giveaway campaign.
Collect User-Generated Content (UGC)
In this method, companies ask customers to engage directly with their products or services. Taking a picture with it and posting online as a submission is the most common way to do it. Brands can also hold a competition, especially for a design- or performance-based output.
For example, a company that sells sportswear may hold a contest asking followers to pose with their products, wherein winners receive giveaway prizes and become marketing ambassadors.
All of the submitted content is collected and often showcased online, where other people can view them. Aside from promoting the product, it may also encourage others to submit and enter the event.
Ask about Dreams and Plans
Whether it is for an event or not, people like talking about their dreams and aspirations. The primary drive behind this method is to highlight the product’s value by showing how it contributes to the customer’s plans for the future.
Take an airfare company, for example. The company can ask its followers about the top three destinations they wish to visit next on its online pages. A lottery could be held in the comments section, and the winners can get a small discount on their next flight.
When you highlight the value a product or service can potentially give, more customers are bound to notice your brand.
Encourage Ideas and Feedback
Another way to raise brand awareness through giveaways is to ask for feedback or ideas regarding an aspect of the brand. It is similar to leaving a review, but here, people may feel more motivated to answer. After all, there’s a chance they may win a prize.
Here are some question samples you could ask:
- What is your favorite part about (product name)?
- If you could change anything about (product name), what would it be?
The main goal of this method is to acquire feedback from customers who know the brand well. Whether the responses are positive or constructive, they will help you better understand how your customers use your product or service every day.
Spread Positivity and Awareness
Sometimes, holding a giveaway event is simply about spreading positivity or raising awareness for a certain cause. This type of campaign showcases a more human side of an otherwise faceless brand and may attract potential customers who have the same values as the company.
In this type of event, you may even opt not to have a prize. The “prize” goes to the cause itself. For example, a food company may donate a care package for each post share to homeless shelters.
How to Hold a Giveaway Online
Here’s a short guide that you can use in planning your company’s giveaway.
- Set Your Goals — Based on the types listed above, it becomes clear that each type has a different goal. Aside from setting objectives, you also need to have the proper metrics to measure them (e.g., Raise online visibility = Get 50 new followers).
- Plan the Giveaway — This stage is where you set the guidelines on how to participate. Giveaway events are usually done online on the brand’s social media pages. As for the process, brands typically follow the like-tag/comment-share method to reach more people. Additionally, don’t forget to also come up with a unique hashtag.
- Choose a Prize — The price should be enticing enough that people would like to participate. Bear in mind that the prize should be proportional to the work people have to perform to enter the giveaway lottery. The more rules and steps there are, the more lucrative the prize should be.
- Set the Limits — The limits refer to the number of prizes and winners available and the deadline of the giveaway event. It is essential to state these pieces of information clearly, so people can manage their expectations and turn in their submissions on time.
- Be Clear on the Winning Process — The selection process for the winners must be transparent. Will winners be randomly chosen? Will there be a group of judges that will pick the best submission? It highly depends on the type of event you use. Don’t forget to add how you’ll announce the winners and whether you’re going to contact them or not.
- Evaluate the Results — After the event, it’s vital to go over the campaign and determine which parts worked and which aspects needed improvement. The easiest way to answer this is to question whether you hit your goals. In this manner, you know what things to change the next time you hold a giveaway.
Overall, doing giveaways is an effective way to get people’s attention, but it does not mean everybody will be interested. It takes a lot of work and time, so it is important to know your goals and plan accordingly. By doing so, not only will you be raising brand awareness, but you will also improve the connection you have with your target audience.
